A Day in a Blind Person's Eyes

Today I went to the Compton Union Building where the majority of students congregate during breaks between classes, to eat meals and hang out with friends. Here I took part in an activity to be in the shoes of someone with impaired vision. I wore sunglasses that had petroleum jelly smeared on the lens. This blurred the visibility making most my surroundings less defined and appear more as blobs and shapes. Depth had been lost somewhat and I felt less secure walking around. I first approached an elevator. There was braille on the elevator buttons and audio, announcing the location, inside the elevator so that someone with impaired vision could travel easily. Next I went to an ATM where I noticed there was no braille on the key pad but the keys were large enough as well and the engraved numbers on them, one might still be able to make out which number is which. The card slot was also helpful because it lit up a neon flashing light so it was easy to locate. After the ATM I traveled to the library and walked down the stairway. I noticed its much harder to descend down a staircase when depth is lost. The contrasting black strips on the white staircase helped define each stair.